Introduction

Hello everyone. I thought I would introduce myself rather than just come in blindly to the forums. I am gardening in zone 8a in Mississippi and started my garden about 3 years ago. I plan on making the bones of the garden very traditional "southern" with lots of crape myrtles, dogwoods, redbuds, magnolias, viburnums, hydrangeas, camelias, gardenias, hollies, and azaleas.

Well Copperbaron Welcome to DG!!!!! Your pic's of your house and grounds are FANTASTIC!!!! You live in Paradise not mississippi I see!!!!!!
The view is wonderful from everywhere in your house! The lower deck looks so inviting, when is the party????????
I however see one small problem...... you have lot's and lot's of shade but no HOSTA!!!!!!!! hehe
sue

Thanks for the welcomes. go_vols (it's sure is a shame we ended up with Eli, isn't it), go ahead and move the thread over to the Welcome Mat forum. I would have used it if I had known anything about it. Sure would be nice to have some pages devoted to new members that would help with getting started as well as proper forum etiquette that a new member is automatically routed to.

As for hostas, I have a few in the back on the north side of the house, but for now I have been concentrating on getting the trees and shrubs into place before moving on to the perennials since it takes so much longer for them to get established.

Ahh, you just HAD to bring up Eli, didn't you? Sigh. My DD is named for his big brother. (I spelled it wrong, but that's another story.) At any rate, it's really my DH who is the big UT fan - his blood runs orange, the whole nine yards.

And yes we DO need to somehow help get newcomers acclimated more smoothly. I know that's something that Dave is working on, and I'm sure he'd appreciate input from a newcomer on what works/what would be helpful :)

A big western howdy from So. California, Copperbaron.
Your house and property are to die for, what I wouldn't give for even a 1/4 acre to garden in. I live in a big suburb, and my small lot is mostly all house. I look forward to reading more of your posts regarding your gardening projects. It's so nice to learn more from other gardeners.

Hi Copperbaron and welcome to Dave's Garden' Your home and all the work you've done is wonderful,to say the least' I encourage tree planting and you have chosen many of my favorites' So glad you found us,enjoy' From the Sunflower State,Sis'

A big wet welcome from the wet state of Washington where it rains more than the sun shines.
Your photos are marvelous. Looks like you will have soo much fun gardening on your property.
I have been to Vicksburg several times, It is a delightful town. Use to do a fair amount of business with Anderson Tully.
I look forward to seeing you at Dave's Garden.

Thanks for the kind words - I do have my work cut out for me in the future. Just thought I'd let you know that I have a little bit of NW in me. Actually, right across the river from you in Portland. My wife and I spent about a year there when I was going to Portland State University. We lived in an apartment right above McMinammins (sp?) on SW Park Avenue directly across the street from PSU.

My wife had lived all her life in Vicksburg, and, after 10 months in Portland, she did not want to come back - I mean, she really didn't want to come back. She was in shopping heaven with Nordstrum's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Pioneer Square, etc. all within walking distance from where we live, and public transportation to take her wherever if it was too far to walk. We go back there at least 1 week a year as I teach a class at the University. Maybe this next year we can get together. The climate is so incredible for gardening in the NW and there are so many incredible nurseries.

Do you ever get a chance to go to the San Juan Islands? If so, you need to stop by San Juan Cellars in Friday Harbor. A very good friend of mine read about this wine business for sale in the back of wine spectator about 9 years ago, flew up the next day, bought the business, flew back, quit his law business and his wife quit her job as a clinical psychologist, sold their house and almost everything they owned, and two weeks later they were conducting wine tastings in God's country and have never looked back.

If you ever make it out that way, stop in and say hi. You will get a chance to see what Southern Hospitality is all about transplanted to the Northwest. His is the first business you can walk into once you get off the ferry in Friday Harbor.

What a small world. I too went to Portland state, way back in the late 70s. And have lived in portland up untill about 5 yrs ago when we bought a home in Vancouver and made the move across the river. But we worked in portland, so it was still out stomping grounds, up untill about a year ago, as luck would have it we both ended up working in Vancouver, about 5 minutes away from our house.
I will definately have to visit your friend in Friday Harbor, when we next make it up there.
By all means, when you come back to Portland, let's get together. It would be great fun.
You must have been here during a dry spell, or else you wouldnt really have such fond memories.....or is it that I am simply burned out from the rain?
My husband recently got laid off, and I am encouraging him to look in different areas of the country, anywhere warm that is, and dry. Oregon has the highest unemployment rate of the country, and although we are technically in Washignton, we are a suburb of portland, so it's not looking very good here. And actually not looking good all over the country, oddly enough the only response he has gotten is from Turkey (his home - lol - to live here for 15 yrs then find your dream job n Turkey? what are the chances?)
cheers

Pebble - sorry to hear about your husband. I really hope everything works out. Interestingly enough, we get about twice the yearly rainfall than you do in your neck of the woods - although we have a tendency to get about a fourth of it in one day. I remember Portland as being overcast all the time from October to May, but really not that much rain - I used to "walk between the raindrops" (as Donald Fegan would say) to my office in the Science Building from McMinammins. I remember most of the rain as being what I call "spitting", but not really requiring an umbrella and I spent most of my time in the NW during the "overcast" season.

What I remember most is going to Sokol Blosser Winery and seeing Harry Belafonte and then the Neville Brothers in concert on a crystal clear July day when the evening temperature was in the high 60's and the nighttime temperature was in the mid 50's with almost no humidity. Contrasted with the temperature here in the south during that time (in the mid to high 90's and the lows in the mid 70's with about 95% humidity), I'll put up with overcast days for 8-9 months of the year any time in order to enjoy the NW summers and wanting to go out and garden rather than hibernate in the AC. Plus, you can grow so much more in the maritime habitat.

Well, I finally got to this forum, and here you are. I enjoyed visiting with you earlier. I know you are going to enjoy DG, and you are a wonderful addition. How did you come by the moniker? My guess is you collect pennies.

Hi, Copper. :o) Howie told me to be sure and check out the welcome matt forum because you'd posted pictures of your house. He just kept saying "Wow, this is so nice. You have to see this." He's on a separate computer, so I just now looked. Wow is right! Welcome to DG!!

Hi Tom - we have already been introduced but adding my name to the 'official' welcome. You are going to make an invaluable addition to this family and we are so glad you have joined us..........Margaret

Copperbaron.....I just had a tour of your breathtaking property....I was in awe of the work you have put into it..and of your plans for the future. You sure do things in a big way!!!!! Do you really do most of the work yourself?
It is absolutely the most gorgeous home and garden I have ever seen. I thank you so much for sharing it with all of us here on DG..I can only dream...
I am interested in your Japanese Maples..I want one badly for my garden..but I am detered by the garden centre people. They say they are very touchy here in Ontario Canada Zone 5..and a very expensive a plant to buy..they want about $110.00 for one and it is a lot of money to take a chance on. I will look forward to seeing how you progress..I think it is wonderful of you to give your time to journal all your doings.
Cheers from Canada
Carol

Starzz, well, you see, I'm originally from Texas and, well, ......... and yes, I have done most of the work.

Thank you for the kind words, particularly since I feel like I have just gotten the garden started - still putting in the "bones". I can't wait to see what it will look like in 10 years - wait a minute, let me rephrase that, I wish I could jump forward 10 years, take a quick look, and then jump back.

Regarding the Japanese maples, I just bought 8 from http://www.worldplants.com for $15 each. They shipped them bare root (except for the two smallest, which is the size they normally ship when shipping in the spring) and most were from last year so they had a full years growth to them. Very pleased with what I received. So it is possible to "take a chance" without loosing an arm and a leg. I will keep my journal up to date as to how they do. Unlike you, my biggest concern here is will they take the sun, heat, and humidity, so I don't know how much help I'll be to you.

Hi Tom,
I checked out the link to the Japanese Maples..thank you..
they even have a discussion forum about them there..but that seems for people more into growing them from seed and grafting.
Being in Canada it is difficult to order from the States, what with shipping, phyto cerificates and the exchange on the money. So I will just wait till spring arrives here and go to the garden centres once again to get a good size tree. ( I am impatient.. :)
I like to see what I am buying..look at the form and colour.
It is sort of like I want it to "talk to me"......do you know what I mean? I will look forward to seeing all your new ideas take shape.
Cheers,
Carol

Please allow me to welcome you and introduce myself, I am Windsurffer aka Kit. Now that the introductions are over let's get to the dirt, do you have any hot tips, what are you planting this year, and do you trade seeds? Just kidding but I thought I would break you in right :) have fun.